Finding A Mentor

A mentor can be one of the most helpful people in your career, especially if you find yourself stepping into unfamiliar territory or looking to accomplish goals that may seem above your means. A mentor can show you a completely different side of the cosmetology industry and can give you lots of new opportunities, show you new techniques, and open you up to possibilities you never thought were possible. Mentors can be a great resource for someone who is just starting out in the field as well - especially young college students and others who may not have a clear idea of where they are headed quite yet. Mentors can help you avoid common pitfalls as you explore your career options as well as introduce you to new ideas, concepts, and even people that can dramatically alter the path that you take in the cosmetology industry. A mentor is a huge asset to anyone in the cosmetology industry, regardless of their age or experience level.

There are some aspects of mentorship that can trip students up though - especially when it comes to choosing or finding a mentor. Where do you find a mentor? How do you approach them? How will you know if they’ll be able to help you? Questions like these can deter students from seeking out a mentorship with someone that might really be able to make a difference in their career. If you’re dedicated to finding a mentor and know it would be of benefit for you then read on for some more helpful advice when it comes to choosing and finding a mentor for your cosmetology career.

First you’ll need to figure out where to look for a mentor - look where the successful cosmetologist are. You don’t want any random hairstylist to be your mentor - you want someone that is hard working, motivated, successful, and has made things happen for themselves. Look around your area for the most popular salons, schools, training conferences, educational events and so forth. Look in popular cosmetology publications and at professional organizations or events to be certain that you are considering all your options. Make sure that you tap into all the different outlets of news and resources so that you can find the perfect mentor for you. Pay attention to who has the most clients, the biggest following and why - there’s usually a reason for it. Don’t turn away people just because they aren’t the most prestigious in their field - everyone has something to offer, just make sure it’s a good investment of your time and that you will be able to gain what you need from your mentor. Make sure that you talk about your goals as you are going through the process of looking for a mentor. Let everyone know what you’re up to but in a polite, respectful manner. Tell people you’re looking for a mentor and what you want to accomplish with said mentor. The more you talk about it the more likely you are to run into someone or to have someone recommend a person that could do a good job and be helpful working with you.

It’s important that you select a mentor that will be able to help you with what you’re working on and be a source of advice and inspiration. You want a mentor that has walked a similar path to what you want as well as someone that has been able to accomplish things that you are looking to accomplish as well. So if you want to own your own salon look around for successful salon owners and find one to mentor you. If your dream is to style hair for celebrities then make sure you find someone who has been able to accomplish that. Make sure that your mentor has experience doing whatever it is that you most want to do.

When you approach your mentor you want to make sure hat whatever you propose to them is a win-win. No one is going to want to mentor you if all you’re assuring them you’ll do is suck up a huge portion of their time and make life a little more difficult for them. Whatever you present to them, you want to be certain that it will benefit them as well as it will you - this is the only way that you’ll be able to have anyone mentor you in the first place. Without this kind of a trade-off all you’re doing is being a mooch and this won’t get you a good mentorship and it certainly won’t help you improve your reputation or any good contacts or credibility within the field. You need to present your future mentor with options and ways that they can earn back the time that they are investing in you.

A lot of this can depend on the field and the aspect of your mentors work that you are looking to learn. If you’re simply shadowing a hairstylist you really admire you might want to offer yourself as a shampooer for them - you’ll earn a few tips, help out your stylist, and get to watch them work their magic on clients all day long while you soak up helpful tips and tricks of the trade. The same applies to a stylist whose specific techniques, such as coloring, perming, or so forth may be something you’re looking to specialize in or learn. You can offer basic services like shampooing, running errands, calling clients, sweeping the floor, and so forth for them in return for them letting you follow them around, ask questions, and so forth. If you’re looking for something like a mentor that can help you learn to run your own salon you’ll probably be doing more administrative tasks for them that may include running some errands, answering a few calls, helping them maintain their schedule and so forth in exchange for them showing you how the business is run and giving you some helpful advice about them and how they got started.

Make certain that you pick a mentor that will be able to help you and is willing to accept what you can do for them in return as a fair exchange. Talk to your mentor a bit and get to know them before making any deals or arrangements and once you have found the right person be sure to learn everything you can from them and be as helpful as possible in return. Good luck!